Communist Russia Flashcards
What was war communism?
A policy introduced in 1918 in an effort to rapidly transform Russia into a communist society
Who’s theories of communism were applied in communist Russia?
Marx and Engels’
What happened under war communism in communist Russia?
Private market, trade and property were abolished, property was confiscated and businesses nationalized, labour was conscripted and organized, surplus crops were confiscated and given to Bolshevik civil-war forces and consumer goods were incredibly cheap or free
What was ‘the new economic policy’ in Russia?
A policy instated by Lenin after it was clear the country could not be transformed as quickly as hoped, due to the economic effects of the Civil war and WWII. It allowed peasants to own farmland and small businesses in consumer goods and agriculture
Who was Joseph Stalin?
A communist leader who gained power in 1928 following a four-year power struggle after Lenin’s death
What was Stalin’s response to the new economic policy?
He believed it encouraged capitalism and responded by centralizing economic planning and instating five-year plans to boost economic growth.
Who were the Kulaks?
Prosperous landowners or people with machinery and employees. In communist Russia they were forced to give up their property. Many refused and responded by killing animals and destroying their property instead.
What happened to farming in Communist Russia?
The government implemented collectivization by taking land from farmers and combining it into Kolkhozes. Farms now had production quotas.
What happened in the Russian Famine of 1932-1933?
Destruction of farms led to a famine, and Stalin tried to use the famine in Ukraine to kill Ukrainian Nationalism. Over 7 million people starved in the event known as the ‘Holodomor Genocide’. Stalin tried to use the famine to show the necessity of collective farming.
What was the Politburo?
The ‘political buro’: the ruling elite of the Communist party. Many members died in the great purge
What happened in the Russian Great Purge of 1936-1938?
Stalin had proposed to execute political dissenters and the politburo disagreed. Stalin was outraged and responded by ordering the persecution of most of the ‘Old Bolsheviks’ (people who supported communism prior to the revolution), most of the highest-ranking officers from the red army, and 1.5-2 million citizens who opposed communism. Half of the dissenters were executed, and the other half sent to the Gulag.
What was The Gulag?
Russian labour camps for political dissenters during Stalinism.
How did the Soviets use propaganda to influence the population?
Postcards were created and children’s books were rewritten to promote industrialization, mechanization of agriculture and communist ideals
